Authorities criticised for lack of urgency finding safe places

One of the Bushfire Royal Commissioners has accused authorities of a "lack of urgency" in establishing the "neighbourhood safer places" in time for this fire season.

The CFA's Terry Hayes candidly told the commission it is likely almost half of the 52 towns at high risk of bushfire will remain without safer places for this fire season.

Only two safer places have been designated so far and at least 20 high risk towns have no "neighbourhood safer place".

Commissioner Susan Pascoe said she was struck by a "lack of urgency" in arranging safer places and said if the process was "one of ducking and weaving" without decisions being made, the problem was the onus fell back on the individual.

Mr Hayes said the fire agency and councils had been working hard since August but it was a tight timeframe.

He urged residents in areas without safer places to exercise a higher degree of caution.

The commission also heard that the CFA has rejected places that have previously effective shelter during bushfires.

Mr Hayes conceded places like the Marysville oval had been rejected as failing to meet the selection criteria, even though they have previously proved themselves as safer places during fires.

In Gippsland, the Walhalla mine has also been ruled out because it is not technically 140 metres from the nearest vegetation, although it is in fact underground.

Mr Hayes said there was nothing to stop the people of Walhalla using the mine and the CFA encouraged the community to think for itself.

Safer places?

There is confusion about how many "neighbourhood safer places" are ready for use this summer.

At first today the Mr Hayes told the commission as far as he knew not a single so-called "neighbourhood safer place" had so far been established.

But then the inquiry heard the Shire of Yarra Ranges had designated two safer places last week.

Later still, a lawyer for the Municipal Association said safer places had been designated in three different locations.

In any case the commission heard the CFA had had difficulty identifying sites that offered enough protection from radiant heat and about 20 towns at high risk of bushfire would remain without safer places this summer.

But Mr Hayes said he did not think the selection criteria for safer places should be relaxed.